Characters From Final Fantasy Who Deserve Their Own Spin-Off

Balthier and Fran (Final Fantasy XII)

Let’s just get this out of the way—Balthier and Fran are the slickest duo in the entire Final Fantasy universe. Change my mind. These two are basically the Han Solo and Chewbacca of Ivalice, oozing enough charm to smother a Malboro. Yet, for some reason, they’ve been marooned as supporting characters when they SCREAM spin-off material. Imagine an action-adventure game featuring Balthier’s overconfident wit paired with Fran’s cool, stoic vibe. Now add treasure hunting, airship dogfights, and the occasional witty banter, and you’ve essentially got Uncharted, but way cooler because Balthier doesn’t whine as much as Nathan Drake.

Seriously, Square Enix, why has this not happened? Oh right, because Vaan was the protagonist nobody asked for. Tsk.

Cid Highwind (Final Fantasy VII)

Sure, nearly every Final Fantasy game has a Cid (it’s practically a rite of passage at this point), but Final Fantasy VII’s Cid Highwind stands head, goggles, and cigarette above the rest. The man is a foul-mouthed, tea-drinking, spear-wielding airship pilot who dreams of space travel. I’m sorry, but if that doesn’t scream “badass protagonist material,” I don’t know what does.

Imagine a spin-off prequel chronicling Cid’s younger days as he climbs the corporate ladder at Shinra while trying to fund his spaceship dream. You’d get a mix of steampunk engineering, moral dilemmas, and, of course, enough salty language to make sailors blush. Plus, more scenes of Shera absolutely roasting him. We live for it.

Lulu (Final Fantasy X)

Lulu, with her goth vibes and deadly black magic, might just be the most underutilized character in Final Fantasy X. Sure, she’s a pivotal part of Yuna’s guardian crew, but long after Tidus is busy rewriting history (or whatever that fever dream ending was about), Lulu’s still standing there with enough stoicism and sass to carry her own game.

Picture this: a tactical strategy RPG starring Lulu as she unravels Spira’s darkest secrets. Think Fire Emblem, but replace teenagers with adults who have actual problems. And yes, everything would be accompanied by Lulu’s dry one-liners because what’s a protagonist without immaculate delivery?

Beatrix (Final Fantasy IX)

If you don’t think Beatrix deserves a spin-off, then you clearly didn’t play Final Fantasy IX (and honestly, shame on you). Beatrix is the ultimate knight—fierce, honorable, and rocking an eyepatch that somehow makes her look cooler, not less practical. Like, girl, how are you fencing half-blind?

Her spin-off could be part origin story, part badass adventure. Play as young Beatrix before she became Alexandria’s rose, navigating war-torn lands and battling her way to knighthood. Let’s not forget the potential for epic cameos and Easter eggs. Plus, it’s time the FFIX underdog fans got a proper nod. Steiner can show up too, I guess.

Vincent Valentine (Final Fantasy VII)

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Didn’t Vincent already get a spin-off? Uh, I have Dirge of Cerberus trauma, thank you very much. That game was… something. But Vincent’s brooding charm still deserves redemption through an actual GOOD game. Square Enix needs to give him another go, this time with a story that makes sense and gameplay that doesn’t feel like punishment.

Vincent’s dark backstory as a former Turk and unwilling experiment of Hojo’s twisted science is practically begging for exploration. Imagine a gritty noir-esque action RPG with fewer random soldiers to fight and more time to soak in Vincent’s tragic coolness. No Gackt this time, please.

Why These Spin-Offs Need to Happen

No disrespect to the lead protagonists in the Final Fantasy series, but there’s a whole world of untapped character depth that Square Enix has ignored for far too long. Spin-offs offer a way to expand the lore without upsetting the canon (I’m looking at you, Final Fantasy VII spin-off purists). Plus, it’s what fans want. And if there’s one thing Final Fantasy knows how to do, it’s giving fans the maximum feels.

Here’s hoping Square puts down their Kingdom Hearts storyboards for five seconds and starts giving the rest of their universe a chance to shine. We’ll be waiting—for decades, if we have to. It’s not like we haven’t done that before.

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